The Detroit Lions are members of the NFC North Division. The team’s home field is Ford Field located in Detroit, Michigan. Founded in 1930 the Lions initially were called the Portsmouth Spartans, an independent football team based out of Ohio.

By 1930 the Lions were granted full NFL membership and finished their season with a steady record. Two years later the soon to be Lions and the Chicago Bears had the same amount of victories on record after the regular season. In order to determine a winner the two teams played each other, leading to the establishment of the first playoff game.

The team moved to Detroit in 1934, and enjoyed one of their most successful decades during the 1950s. Led by quarterback Bobby Layne, the Lions made a run to the NFL championship, defeating the Cleveland Browns 17-7. They won the League Championship three times in six years, defeating the Cleveland Browns each time.

During the 1990s, the Lions made the playoffs five times, making the decade another successful era in team history. Running back Barry Sanders was with the team on all five trips to the playoffs, and helped lead the team to the 1991 and 1993 NFC Central division titles. In 1997 Sanders joined the 2,000 rushing yards club. He became only the third player to do so in a single season and the first since O. J. Simpson to rush for 2,000 yards in a span of 14 consecutive games.

In 1999, the Lions closed out the decade reaching the playoffs for the sixth time in a ten-year span, a franchise record for playoff appearances during a decade. Detroit has earned a handful of division championship wins and made several playoff appearances, but the closest they have come to the Super Bowl summit was in 1993 when the Lions won the NFC Central. In any case, the Detroit Lions continue to roar out on the field against their division rivals, the Chicago Bears, Green Bay Packers and Minnesota Vikings.